Garment construction

ABSTRACT

A body-encircling portion of a garment, such as a sweater, dress, glove and others, has an elongated opening therein terminating at a margin edge thereof, and has an integrally connected closure member which closes the opening when a pair of fastening devices detachably connect the side marginal edges thereof to the garment, whereby the closure member may be partially or entirely disconnected along its side marginal edges and folded over onto itself to uncover the opening to any desired extent for facilitating the use of the garment and for appearance purposes.

United States Patent 1 Florens, Jr.

GARMENT CONSTRUCTION I 75] Inventor: Nicholas Florens, Jr., Chicago, Ill.

[73] Assignees: Julia Oakden; Tina M. Oakden,

Carlton, Oreg. part interest to each [22] Filed: Feb. 14, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 226,050

[52] US. Cl 2/90, 2/74, 2/106 [51] Int. Cl A4ld 1/04 [58] Field of Search 2/90, 103, 105, 107, 2/106, 80, 74, 75, 234, 221

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 494,404 3/1893 Aronson 2/221 1,031,112 7/1912 Fox 2/221 X 2,747,197 5/1956 Bailey 2/221 X 1,551,059 8/1925 Schnellbacher.... 2/90 2,305,986 12/1942 Ottusch 2/103.X

[451 Nov. 6, 1973 2,712,650 7/1955 Harrington 2/90 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 13,324 0/1903 Great Britain 2/106 Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest Attorney-Alberts, Brezina et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A body-encircling portion of a garment, such as a sweater, dress, glove and others, has an elongated opening therein terminating at a margin edge thereof, and has an integrally connected closure member which closes the opening when a pair of fastening devices detachably connect the side marginal edges thereof to the garment, whereby the closure member may be partially or entirely disconnected along its side marginal edges and folded over onto itself to uncover the opening to any desired extent for facilitating the use of the garment and for appearance purposes.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GARMENT CONSTRUCTION The present invention relates to a garment construction, and it more particularly relates to a bodyencircling portion of a garment, such as a sweater, dress, glove and others, having a special opening and closure therefor to facilitate the use of the garment and for appearance purposes.

Closures for body-encircling portions of garments, such as sweaters or dresses, have comprised a single row of buttons or snaps, or a single slide fastening device. Such arrangements have been widely used for many years, but it would be highly desirable to employ a new type of arrangement, which lends itselfto various different artistic designs, and which is inexpensive to manufacture and is efficient to use. Moreover, such an arrangement should be capable of being used for various different kinds of garments, including but not limited to, sweaters, dresses, gloves and other types of body-encircling articles of wearing apparel and other body-encircling portions of garments, such as sleeves and legs of trousers.

Therefore, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved garment construction, which provides an opening in a bodyencircling portion of a garment and a closure member therefor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a new and improved garment construction which lends itself for use with various different kinds and types of garments, and which is inexpensive to manufacture and is efficient to use.

Briefly, the above and further objects of the present invention are realized by providing a body-encircling portion of a garment having an elongated opening therein terminating at the marginal edge thereof, and having a closure member integrally connected at one of its ends to the garment to cover the opening when a set of fastening devices connect detachably the member in place over the opening along its side marginal edges. The closure member may be partially or entirely disconnected along its side marginal edges and then folded over onto itself to uncover the opening to any desired extent. In accordance with one of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention, a sweater is provided with an elongated wedge-shaped opening terminating at the neck portion thereof with a complementary-shaped closure member integrally connected to the sweater along its side marginal edges by means of slide fastener devices or other types of fastening devices so that the sweater can be converted from a round neck opening to a V-shaped neck opening, or to an intermediate or square-shaped neck opening by entirely or partially disconnecting the side marginal edges of the closure member and then folding it over and tucking it inside the sweater to secure it in place during use. Other disclosed embodiments of the present invention include special arrangements for the back of a dress at the neck portion thereof, for the back of a glove, and for a shirt sleeve or a trouser leg. Thus, the special arrangements of the present invention may be employed on various different types and kinds of gannents, and they provide the garments with a distinctive aesthetically-pleasing appearance, which may be altered by simple adjustments and manipulations made by the wearer according to his own desires. Moreover, the construction according to the present invention facilitates access to and removal of the garment, and readily provides ventilation if desired.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed and as to its other objects, features and advantages, the mode of operation and manner of its organization, these, among other things, may be better understood by referring to the following described details considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a sweater constructed in accordance with the present invention, illustrating the closure member in a fully closed position to provide the sweater with a round-style neck opening;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged front elevational view of the sweater of FIG. 1, illustrating the closure member in an intermediate open position to provide the sweater with a square-shaped neck opening;

FIG. 3 is a back elevational view of a dress constructed in accordance with the present invention, illustrating the closure member in a fully closed position to provide the dress with a round neck opening;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged back elevational view of the dress of FIG. 3, illustrating the closure member in its fully open position to form a decorative flap and to provide the dress with a V-shaped opening at the neck in the back side of the dress;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the back side of a glove constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a limb-encircling portion of a garment, showing the closure member retained in a partially open position.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown a pull-over sweater 5, which is constructed in accordance with the present invention, and which has the usual body portion 6 and sleeves 8 and 9. The sweater 5 may be used for men or women, and includes an elongated wedgeshaped closure member or flap ll integrally connected at its narrower end to the body portion 6 for covering a complementary-shaped opening 12 extending at its wider end to the marginal edge of the neck-encircling portion 14 of the sweater 5. A wider marginal edge 15 of the flap 11, when in the position as shown in FIG. 1, forms an extension of and completes the neckencircling portion 14 to cause the sweater 5 to have a round neckline. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of slide fasteners l6 and 18 detachably connect the side marginal edges of the flap 11 to the adjacent portions of the sweater 5. In use, the flap 11 may be worn in any one of many different desired positions by partially or totally unfastening both of the slide fasteners 16 and 18 to the same extent, and then by folding the flap 1 1 over and tucking the wider end portion inside the sweater 5 to secure it in place and to uncover a desired portion of the opening 12. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, when the flap ll completely covers the opening 12, the sweater 5 is provided with a round neck opening. With the flap 11 in an intermediate position as shown in FIG. 2, thesweater 5 is provided with a square-shaped neckline. When both fasteners 16 and 18 completely detach the side marginal edges of the flap from the sweater and the flap is tucked within the sweater, it is provided with a V-shaped neckline.

The slide fastener 16 is sewn along one marginal edge thereof to the sweater by means of a line of stitching 21, and along its other marginal edge to the flap 1 1 with a line of stitching 23. Similarly, the slide fastener 18 is sewn with lines of stitching 25 and 27 to the flap 1 l and the adjacent portion of the sweater 5, respectively. It should be noted that the flap l1 and the opening 12 may have various different sizes and shapes, such as a rectangular shape or a wedge shape with the wider end integrally connected to'the sweater 5.

The flap 11 is an integral extension of the fabric material of the sweater and extends less than half way down from the neck-encircling portion 14 thereof so that when it is fully disconnected along its side marginal edges, the flap can be tucked inside the sweater and concealed therein without extending out the bottom opening 29 of the body portion 6. It should be understood that other kinds of fastening devices, such as buttons, snaps and the like devices, may be used in place of the slide fasteners 16 and 18.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, there is shown a dress 31, which is also constructed in accordance with the present invention. The dress 31 includes an integrally connected elongated wedge-shaped member or flap 33 which is detachably connected along its side marginal edges to the back of a body portion 35 of the dress 31 over a complementary-shaped opening 37 therein. As shown in FIG. 3, when the flap 33 completely covers over the opening 37, an upper marginal edge 39 of the wider end of the flap 33 forms an extension of and completes the neck-encircling portion 42 of the dress. The flap 33 is an integral extension of the fabric material of the dress 31, and may assume various different sizes and shapes, such as a wedge shape having curved side marginal edges.

In order to fasten detachably the side marginal edges of the flap 33 to the adjacent portions of the dress, as best seen in FIG. 4, a pair of oppositely-disposed buttons 44 and 46 on the body portion 35 adjacent the side edges of the opening 37 near the neck-encircling portion 42 cooperate with a pair of loops 48 and 50, respectively, which extend from the side edges of the flap to retain it in its closed position, and which as shown in FIG. 4 cooperate with a pair of corresponding oppositely-disposed spaced-apart buttons 51 and 52 located at an appropriate distance below the opening 37 to retain the flap in its fully open position on the outside of the dress. Similarly, a pair of oppositely-disposed buttons 53 and 54 adjacent the lower portion of the side edges of the opening 37 cooperate with a pair of loops 56 and 58 to help retain the flap in its fully closed position, the loops 56 and 58 being used alternatively as shown in FIG. 4 to be retained by a corresponding pair of buttons 61 and 63 positioned by an appropriate distance below the opening 37 when the flap is used in its fully open position. Likewise, an intermediate pair of buttons 65 and 67 cooperate with a pair of loops 69 and 71, respectively, on the flap 33 to retain it in its closed position, and a corresponding pair of buttons 73 and 75 below the opening 37 retain the respective loops 69 and 71 when the flap is in its fully open position. The phantom lines 77 of FIG. 4 show how the flap 33 may be positioned, if desired, in an intermediate location to partially uncover the opening 37, whereby the loops 48 and 50 are released from the uppermost buttons 44 and 46 and then the flap 33 is folded over on the outside of the dress above the buttons 65 and 67 so that the loops 48 and 50 may be retained by the buttons 53 and 54.

Thus, the flap 33 may be adjusted to assume several different desired positions to provide the dress 31 with various different appearances. Also, the back side of the flap 33 which is exposed when the opening 37 is partially or completely uncovered, may be of a contrasting or matching color. It is to be understood that other kinds of fastening devices, such as snaps, may also be used to connect detachably the side marginal edges of the flap to the body portion 35. Also, if desired, when the flap 33 is worn in its open position, it may be worn loose and need not be secured in place to provide a slightly different appearance.

Referring now to FIG. 5 of the drawings, a glove 80 constructed in accordance with the present invention, is illustrated and includes a hand-encircling body portion 82 having the usual finger and thumb portions, such as the finger portion 84. An elongated wedgeshaped opening 86 in the back side of the body portion 82 extending to the marginal edge 87 of the opening to the glove is adapted to be closed by a complementaryshaped closure member or flap 88 in a manner similar to the flap 11 and the opening 12 of the sweater 5 in FIG. 1, whereby when partially or entirely opened, the opening86 serves to facilitate access to and removal of the glove, and serves to provide an artistic design and to provide ventilation when desired. The flap 88 is an integral extension of the glove material and is joined at its narrower end portion to the body 82. A pair of slide fasteners (not shown) detachably connect the side marginal edges of the flap 88 to the adjacent edges of the glove 80, and are sewn in place in a similar manner to the slide fasteners 16 and 18 of FIG. 2 by means of a pair of lines of stitching 91 and 93 for one of the fasteners and by means of a pair'of lines of stitching 95 and 97 for the other one of the fasteners. In use, the fasteners may partly or completely detach the side marginal edges from the adjacent portions of the glove, and the flap 88 folded over outwardly and tucked under a flexible retaining strap 99, as indicated by the phantom lines, to secure it in place. The strap 99 is sewn along the lines 101 and 103 at opposite ends thereof to receive the flap 88 between it and the back side of the body portion 82. The strap 99 extends across a portion of the back side of the body portion 82 and is positioned between the opening 86 and the finger portions such that the fasteners need not entirely detach the side edges of the flap to enable the end portion of the flap to be retained by the strap 99, whereby the flap can uncover the opening 86 to various different degrees to provide the glove 80 with different appearances. It should be understood that other types of fastening devices, such as buttons, may be employed in place of the slide fasteners, and that other types of retaining devices, such as snaps, may be used in place of the strap 99. Also, the unfastened flap may be alternatively tucked inside the glove.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown the'end portion of a limb-encircling member 105, which may be either a sleeve or a trouser leg, and which is also constructed in accordance with the present invention. An elongated wedge-shaped closure member or flap 107 is integrally connected at its narrower end portion to the member and is detachably connected along its side marginal edges by means of a pair of slide fasteners (not shown) to cover a complementary-shaped opening 109 which extends to the marginal edge 112 of the opening to the member 105. The slide fasteners are sewn in place in the same manner as the fasteners used for the sweater 5 and the glove 80. A flexible retaining strap 114 is sewn along the lines 116 and 1 18 at its ends to receive the free end of the flap between the strap and the member 105, whereby the flap may be partially or completely unfastened along its side edges and folded over outwardly and tucked under the strap 114, as indicated by the phantom lines and in a similar manner as the flap 88 of the glove 80. Different types and kinds of fastening devices may be employed in place of the slide fastening devices, and different kinds of retaining devices may be employed in place of the strap 1 14. The flap I07 and the opening 109 permit ease of access to and removal of the limbencircling member 105, and they provide the member 105 with a distinctive appearance which may be adjusted according to the desires of the wearer by opening or closing the flap 107. As in the case of the other garments disclosed herein, the extent to which the opening 109 is uncovered is adjustable to provide the member 105 With different possible artistic appearances.

Therefore, in view of the foregoing description, it should now be apparent that in accordance with the present invention a portion of a body-encircling garment having a marginal edge adapted to encircle the body includes an elongated opening therein extending to the marginal edge with an integrally-connected complementary-shaped closure member detachably connected along its side marginal edges to the adjacent portion of the garment covering the opening. In use, the closure member may be partially or completely unfastened along its side marginal edges to uncover the opening to various extents for-appearance and ventilation purposes and to permit ease of access to and removal of the garment.

While the present invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. In a garment, tubular means of flexible material adapted to encircle a portion of a wearer and having a notch extending in a longitudinal direction from one end of said tubular means part way toward the opposite end of said tubular means, said notch having a pair of side edges and having an end edge at a position intermediate said one end and said opposite end of said tubular means, flap means of flexible material having a length approximately the same as the length of said notch and having a width at least as great as the width of said notch, one end of said flap means being permanently secured to said tubular means at said end edge of said notch for allowing hinged movement of said flap means between a first position in which said flap means is aligned with said notch and a second position in which said flap means is disposed against said tubular means between said intermediate point and said opposite end thereof, first securing means detachably securing one side portion of said flap means to said tubular means along one side edge of said notch, and second securing means detachably securing the opposite side portion of said flap means to said tubular means along the opposite side edge of said notch, said tubular means being arranged to encircle the torso of the wearers body and having a neck opening at said one end thereof, said notch extending longitudinally and downwardly from said neck opening.

2. In a garment as defined in claim 1, said first securing means being arranged to detachably secure said side edge portion of said flap means to said tubular means at a first plurality of longitudinally spaced points, and said second securing means being arranged to detachably secure said opposite side edge portion of said flap means to said tubular means at a second plurality of longitudinally spaced points aligned with said first plurality of points.

3. In a garment as defined in claim 2, each of said first and second securing means being defined by zipper means.

4. In a garment as defined in claim 1, said flap means in said second position thereof being selectively positionable either on the outside or on the inside of said tubular means.

5. In a garment as defined in claim 1, said flap means being of the same material as and being integrally connected to the material forming said tubular means. 

1. In a garment, tubular means of flexible material adapted to encircle a portion of a wearer and having a notch extending in a longitudinal direction from one end of said tubular means part way toward the opposite end of said tubular means, said notch having a pair of side edges and having an end edge at a position intermediate said one end and said opposite end of said tubular means, flap means of flexible material having a length approximately the same as the length of said notch and having a width at least as great as the width of said notch, one end of said flap means being permanently secured to said tubular means at said end edge of said notch for allowing hinged movement of said flap means between a first position in which said flap means is aligned with said notch and a second position in which said flap means is disposed against said tubular means between said intermediate point and said opposite end thereof, first securing means detachably securing one side portion of said flap means to said tubular means along one side edge of said notch, and second securing means detachably securing the opposite side portion of said flap means to said tubular means along the opposite side edge of said notch, said tubular means being arranged to encircle the torso of the wearer''s body and having a neck opening at said one end thereof, said notch extending longitudinally and downwardly from said neck opening.
 2. In a garment as defined in claim 1, said first securing means being arranged to detachably secure said side edge portion of said flap means to said tubular means at a first plurality of longitudinally spaced points, and said second securing means being arranged to detachably secure said opposite side edge portion of said flap means to said tubular means at a second plurality of longitudinally spaced points aligned with said first plurality of points.
 3. In a garment as defined in claim 2, each of said first and second securing means being defined by zipper means.
 4. In a garment as defined in claim 1, said flap means in said second position thereof being selectively positionable either on the outside or on the inside of said tubular means.
 5. In a garment as defined in claim 1, said flap means being of the same material as and being integrally connected to the material forming said tubular means. 